Eastern

Container traffic increased almost 20% at North Carolina's ports during the first 10 months of the 2014-15 fiscal year. Net income through April was $3.1 million, compared with a projected loss of $100,000.

Wilmington native Todd Vasos will become CEO of Dollar General, the company said Thursday. Vasos was chief operating officer of the Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based discount retailer, which last year attempted an unsuccessful takeover of Family Dollar Stores. He replaces Rick Dreiling, who is retiring.

Cape Fear Valley Health System plans to renovate the emergency department at its main campus in Fayetteville, bringing the total number of beds there to 92.Related: ER visits on the rise in Carolinas, US

In a joint venture with Smithfield Foods, Kansas City Sausage will open a 90,000-square-foot plant in Sampson County and plans to create 177 jobs. Construction is expected to begin immediately and will be completed by June 2016.

North Carolina will begin drilling Wednesday to determine shale-gas potential at three sites in the eastern part of the state. Drilling, which could last two to five days, will take place in Cumberland, Johnston and Scotland counties.

Local officials say the bankruptcy filing of a Massachusetts company owned by Vertex Rail CEO Don Croteau shouldn't affect the Wilmington-based company's plans. Vertex Rail, which said it will create 1,300 jobs at a rail-car manufacturing plant, did not ask for incentives, though the city and New Hanover County agreed to help pay for a road extension near the plant.

A Massachusetts-based company led by Vertex Rail CEO Don Croteau filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. Vertex Fab & Design designs and makes components for NASA and companies such as GE Hitachi. Vertex Rail announced last year it will create 1,300 jobs in a rail-car manufacturing facility in Wilmington.

Robin Cummings will become chancellor of UNC Pembroke in July. Cummings, the state Medicaid director and a cardiothoracic surgeon, will succeed Kyle Carter, who is retiring after five years in the post.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center begins Thursday a renovation project that will double the number of beds to 108 in its 17th Street Emergency Department in Wilmington. The project, which will increase the department's space from 17,800 to 48,000 square feet, is expected to be complete by spring 2017.

Asbury Carbons will invest $8 million in a Lumberton manufacturing plant and will create 25 jobs over the next three years. The New Jersey-based company processes graphite and other carbons and materials for ceramics, LED and other manufacturers.

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission over the agency's decision to allow the city of Wilson to expand its municipal broadband network outside the city limits (Statewide, March).

Deloitte Digital, a division of Deloitte Consulting, will add nCino's Bank Operating System to its portfolio of services offered to banking and financial clients across the world. Built on the Salesforce platform, nCino's software helps lenders trim paperwork, increase efficiency and reduce operating costs.

A development group called Lane's Ferry Landing wants to build a mixed-use community on 988 acres in Pender County with up to 2,600 residential units, a marina, retail shops and offices. County officials are expected to consider the master development plan later this month and in June.

ECU will graduate the first class of students from its School of Dentistry this week. The school operates community-service learning centers across the state to provide training for its students and dental care for underserved areas.

A group called Compassion Over Killing released a video Monday alleging that workers at a Mountaire Farms plant in Robeson County illegally abused chickens. The group had someone obtain a job at the plant to act as an undercover investigator.

A tourism-industry official said the Wilmington area has seen a steady increase in tourism spending in recent years and predicts that trend will continue. "We believe that we could very well see our best summer yet," Kim Hufham said. Hufham is CEO of the Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau.